Why You?
by N.V.9
Summary: Haku is Neji's closest friend who happens to be dating Gaara. Neji is happy for them until he realize that after spending more time with Gaara, he to may be falling in love with the hot red head. DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"He is so cute!" Haku sighed clasping his hands together and staring at nothing. "He's perfect. He's amazing and sweet-"

"Haku enough." Neji sighed getting a headache. For the last three hours Haku and he had spent at the library studying for three test they were going to have tomorrow. And throughout the three hours Haku had went on and on about his crush Gaara. He couldn't believe he was going to be here for two more hours.

Okay Gaara was good looking but Neji could only take so much of 'idolizing of the red head' that Haku believed himself in love with.

For the first hour Neji had listened while they worked. Gaara was this... Gaara was that... Gaara was getting annoying, which led into hour two where Neji tried to ignore Haku. And by hour three Neji was ready to pull his hair out.

How much could one person talk about another?

"But Neji, I haven't gotten to the best part about Gaara." Haku pouted looking down at a page filled with notes and 'I love Gaara' doodles.

Neji stayed quiet as he flipped a page in his books and began to write.

"It's the really greatest thing about Gaara." Haku tried again wanting to go on about the red head that transfered to their school three months ago.

"Is this going to be a repeat of Naruto?" Neji asked finally looking up at him.

"What do you mean?" Haku questioned.

"I mean you used to go on and on about the blond until he started dating that annoying Uchiha." Neji pointed out. God if that was going to happen again Haku was going to go on and on about Gaara for years to come.

In fifth grade Haku thought himself in love with Naruto, the class clown. That's all he would talk about. He'd go on about how hot he was, then how sweet, their first nonexistant date and finally the heart break in seventh grade when Sasuke started dating Naruto.

"Then there was Kiba." Neji said ignoring Haku's glare.

When Naruto started dating Sasuke, Haku was heartbroken for six months until he noticed Kiba, who was almost like Naruto save a for a few differences. Then it all started again and ended when Kiba began dating Neji's cousin Hinata the summer of their freshman year. Now here they were in their second year of highschool and here Gaara was the new guy of the school that people were either afraid of or stalked.

"This is nothing like that. This time I'm really in love with Gaara." Haku defended himself.

"Prove it." Neji said with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Haku said looking a little taken back.  
"Go ask him out."

"What! I can't do that!" Haku blushed looking down.  
"Then this will be a repeat of Naruto and Kiba all over again." Neji pointed out. "You'll love him from a far and then someone is going to take him from you. Then for months to come you'll be depressed until you find you're next love of you life."

"That's just mean." Haku glared. "Just because I like being in love-"

"And heartbroken."

"_In love_," Haku stated again, "Doesn't mean you can be an ass."

"Haku I'm not being an ass just to be one. I want you to be happy. I don't like seeing you hurting or sad for six or more months over a guy that doesnt even know how you feel." Neji explained. "If you think you are in love with Gaara, take a chance and don't wait until someone else has him."

It was then Neji noticed Gaara, Naruto, and Shikamaru coming over to their table. "Look here he comes."

"Oh my god!" Haku whispered shocked fixing his hair quickly and closing his notebooks full of Gaara's name, hearts and Haku's name. "Neji he's coming!"

"I know," Neji sighed lifting a hand to the three, "Now's your chance."

"I can't. I can't do it." Haku looked scared and Neji felt bad but before he could reassure the teen the other three were there.

"Can't do what?" Naruto asked sitting down and putting his bag on the table.

"Nothing!" Haku smiled nervously.

"You sure?" Naruto questioned looking at him oddly.

"It's-" At the dirtly look from Haku Neji changed his mind, "Nothing."

"Okay then." Shikamaru sighed tiredly before opening his own bag. "So what are we studying?"

"History." Neji said when Haku kept shooting Gaara looks instead of paying attention.

"Okay." Gaara said pulling out his own book. "What chapter is it?"

"Seven." Haku smiled flipping Gaara's book open for him. "There you are."

At an amused look from Neji that no one else noticed, Haku blushed and looked down at his own book.

"Thank you." Gaara said and Haku nodded.

An hour later of a forced converstation on Naruto's part, Shikamaru called it a day since he would ace the test any way and left. Ten minutes later Naruto left after getting a call from Sasuke leaving only Neji, Haku and Gaara.

Neji mentally smirked as he came up with a plan. "I'm going to get a drink I'll be right back." Before Haku could stop him Neji left a blushing boy with a confused red head.

Taking his time to get to the fountain on the other side of the giant library and back to the table, Neji wasted twenty minutes when he kept stopping to look at books or speak to fellow classmates.

When he went back to the table he stilled. Right in front of him was Haku kissing Gaara and not a simple chaste kiss. This kiss was arms pulling the other tighter and from his angle they were using tongue. With a small blush forming on his face Neji went to the table and cleared his throat. The two broke apart, their faces flushed and their breathing harsh.

Then Haku smiled and said, "Guess what?"

"What?" Neji asked already knowing what the boy was going to say.  
"Gaara and I are going out." Haku smiled happily holding on to Gaara's arm.

"Congrat." Neji smiled glad that Haku took a chance. With a wave he said good bye to both guys and left. He was not going to be there for make out session number two.


	2. Chapter 2

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Then he took me to that restraunt, you know that really expensive one on the other side of town? Well we went there and we talked about everything that came to mind. Afterwards we went for a walk through the park which was even more romantic because the moonlight was showing through the trees and I was holding on to his arm. Then we stopped by the lake and we kissed." Haku said falling on to Neji's bed.

Neji nodded as he shifted through files on his computer. By now he was more then accustomed to Haku's ramblings about his red headed boyfriend. He'd have to be anyways for as long as those two had been going out. Their relationship in their sophmore year was growing more and more with each year that passed and now that they were in their senior year no one could find Haku without Gaara or Gaara without Haku. Those two were attached at the hip since the day they announced they were a couple.

And like always Haku was over at Neji's house as he laid on Neji's bed and told him about everything that happened on the date the night before. Neji was beginning to think that he went with them with the amount of details Haku went into.  
"It wasn't a quick kiss either." Haku went on, "It was a 'I'm in need of air and you have it locked away in your mouth' kind of kiss." Neji nodded again. Being around Haku since they were kids made it easy for him to understand Haku's sentences. "And when we broke apart I was so out of breath that it was amazing. To think even after so long together we can still kiss like it'll be the last one we have."

Neji nodded again and smirked when he found the file he was looking for. It was an ongoing project for one of his classes. It was a report on the history of Konoha which was only a portion of the project. Once this report was turned in he'd have the next piece, which was a diagram of the city from then to now and the diaolog differences of then and now as well. The paper itself was already done. He just needed to print it out and tomorrow he could turn it in and get started on the next part.

"Hey Neji?" Haku called when the printer started going off.

"Hm?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"What do you need? I'm not lending you money just so you could by candy again. Last time I did that you blamed me for the tummy ache." Neji smirked turning to face a pouting Haku.

"You gave me the money. So therefore it was your fault." Haku insisted crossing his arms. "But that's not what I want to ask."

"Fine, what is it?"

"I knew you would agree!" Haku jumped up excitedly.  
"Wait! I never agreed!" Neji shouted but Haku didn't see to care.

"You asked so therefore you agree. Wear something fun today, you are going with us and a friend to that haunted house that's always opened every weekened all year around." Haku said grabbing his coat and heading out the door. "We'll pick you up at six!"

"I never agreed!" Neji yelled but Haku was already gone.

X~x~X  
By six Neji was already waiting for Haku and Gaara to pick him up. Why did he do this to himself? Everytime he hung out with the two, Haku was determined to set him up with some guy. All of which were pretty nice guys but Neji wasn't even looking for a boyfriend. He liked his life with out the added extra that wasn't always wanted.

Now tonight he was going to be stuck in a car trying to make conversation with yet another guy all the way to the haunted house.

"NEJI!" Haku shouted out Gaara's window. "Come on lets go!"

Neji nodded and quickly told his father he was leaving. Entering the back of Gaara's car he saw someone that looked a lot like his annoying rival Sasuke.

"Neji this is Sai." Haku said from the front seat. "Sai this is Neji."

"You got pulled in to this friends night too?" Neji questioned.

"Yep," Sai grinned. "It's not a date but a group of four guys two of which are single but that is purely by chance."

"It is!" Haku argued.

"Right." Neji and Sai said as one before they both chuckled.

"Whatever, let's move on from this conversation that is going no where." Haku said. "Have any of you been to the haunted house?"

"I went with Naruto when I first moved here." Gaara shrugged. "It was before we got together and Sasuke was out of town."

"Okay," Haku nodded, "Neji?"

"A long time ago with my cousins. I was like six or something."

"Never went." Sai said shrugging. "Haunted houses aren't really my thing."

"Well it's going to be excited. We'll be like haunted house virgins."

"Joy." Neji sighed as Haku ignored him and went on and on about the haunted house.

X~x~X  
"That was sort of lacking in... everything." Sai decided as they left the haunted house and drove to find some food. "The corpse didn't even move it only jiggled and I'm pretty sure that scream was someone having sex."

"Don't forget that old man and the chainsaw." Neji laughed.

"I'm pretty sure it was a stick with wire." Gaara remarked pulling into a burgerstand.

"It wasn't at all what I'd thought it would be." Haku pouted. "I wasn't even scared."

"How could you be when they were playing country songs instead of haunting music?" Neji asked as they got out and went inside.

"Enough about the nonhaunted house." Sai groaned. "Lets talk about something that might cause us a scare."

"How about not being able to graduate if I don't get my grades up." Gaara said.

"What do you mean? I thought your grades where all A's and B's?" Haku asked surprised and somewhat hurt that Gaara didn't tell him this.

"Hold on let's order then I'll tell you." Gaara said. Ten minutes later their food was placed in front of them. "I got a letter today telling me if my grades didn't go up, I won't graduate or walk."  
"How low are your grades?" Neji asked.

"C's and D's." Gaara shrugged as Haku choked on his food.

"Gaara why didn't you tell me! How did your grades get so low?"

"It was those two weeks when I got injurned at that basketball game."

"The one that you pulled something in your knee and you had to miss school?" Haku asked.

"Yeah, that one. My grades were all good, but because of that I missed a lot of stuff and I never made up any of the test. Then add in the fact that I suck at math and english and without Shikamaru in my classes anymore, because that idiot decided to he was to smart for us," Gaara smirked, "I now have no one to copy off of."

"Gaara!" Haku glared. "If you needed help so badly why didn't you ask me?"

"Haku, you have your own thing going on. You're sending out all of your applications for colleges and stuff that I didn't want to distract you." Gaara said giving Haku a light kiss. "Besides I've been getting some help from the teachers. Most of them plan to give me extra credit. The ones that don't are going to give me a test to make up. I just need to study math and english stuff and I'm good."

"Why not ask Neji." Haku said quickly. "Neji is like the second smartest guy in the school after Shikamaru and one above Sasuke. He can tutor you!"

"Haku you can't just volunteer people." Gaara said.

"Neji would love too! Besides he's already ahead of everyone else by a few weeks that it wouldn't be a problem." Haku insisted, "Right Neji?"  
As everyone looked at Neji he sighed. He was never really able to turn Haku down on anything. "Yeah. We'll start tomorrow after school, if that works for you?"

"Since I don't have basketball anymore, it works." Gaara nodded, "Thanks Neji."

"No problem... I only have one request." Neji said as Haku and Gaara looked at him and Sai took another bite of his food.

"What?" Haku asked sipping his coke.

"No more dates. I mean it. Sai you're a nice guy but I'm not looking for a relationship right now." Neji said as Sai nodded.

"Neither am I. To young to be tied down." Sai said.

"But-"

"Haku." Neji interrupted him. "That is my condition."

"Fine." Haku pouted before he grinned again. "Gaara in a few days you'll have all of your grades up. Neji will see to that."

"Thank's Neji." Gaara grinned and that was the last said on that subject. For the rest of the night they were just a group of guys hanging out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Neji watched with irritation as Haku and Gaara continued to make out. Already the first day and ten minutes into the tutoring lesson, the two were glued at the mouth. He did not sign up to watch this.

Clearing his throat he waited a bit to get their attention but that didn't seem to help since the two ignored him.

"Hello?" he said with a glare forming on his face. If that hand went any lower on Haku's back, Neji was going to leave.

And there it went. With an angry gust of air leaving his mouth, he gathered his things and stuffed them into his bag. Without saying anything he pushed back his chair and took off.

"NEJI WAIT!" Haku shouted. The sound of a chair moving back followed by footsteps did not stop Neji from walking out of the library. Haku may have been his best friend but he was not sitting there watching tongues switching mouths. "Please Neji! Come back!"

Ignore him and keep going. Just pretend you don't hear him and you'll be in the clear. Besides he was almost at the door. Only two more steps and he'd be there.

"Neji!" Haku called out again and apologised to the librarian when she sent him a look.

Almost there, just one arm length away and... Haku caught him.

"Neji, where are you going?" Haku asked turning him to meet his questioning eyes. "I thought you were going to help Gaara?"

"I was, but now I'm not." Neji said with a frown him place. "I'm going home."

"Why?"

"Why?" did Haku seriously just ask why? What did he think, Neji was going to teach air while he made out with his boyfriend? He had better things to do then hangout with the freaking liplockers.

"Yes why?" Haku nodded showing confusion clearly on his face.

"Haku, I did not sign up to watch you guys make out." Neji said hoping Haku would see his point.

"Okay..." Haku nodded.

"I said I'd help Gaara get his grades up but he doesn't seem inclined to learn right now."

"How can you say that?" Haku asked with a frown. "Gaara needs to get his grades up so he can go to college. You said you'd help him."

"Yes I did, but I did not say I'd sit there and wait until you guys were done trying to breath through eachothers mouth. I have better things to do."

"Neji, please don't go." Haku begged hanging off of his arm. "I promise we won't kiss or touch or sit next eachother. In fact, what if I left? Would you teach Gaara then?"

"Haku-"  
"Please, Gaara really needs your help. You're my best friend and I know you're the only one who can help him."

"There's Shikamaru."

"He's to lazy to teach anyone. He'd just give Gaara all the answers and say 'I'm done'." Haku argued.

"Hinata."

"She's to shy and she blushes around any guy that isn't you or me. Plus Kiba would think Gaara was trying to steal his girl."

"Sakura?"

"She has her hands full with Lee."

"Shino?"

"Gaara doesn't really like bugs and Shino tends to carry them everywhere."

"Sai?"

"Sai's socially retarded."

"What about Sasuke?"

"You hate Sasuke." Haku reminded him. "And beside,s Sasuke isn't very fond of Gaara ever since Gaara called him a pussy."

"Naruto."

"Naruto is the same as Gaara. No actually worse, he hates anything that has to do with school. If not for Emo, he'd be failing too."

Who was left? "Ino?"

"Ino is to obessed with boys and would most likely jump Gaara if I wasn't around. Choji is too stuck on eating to actually teach. Tenten always has practice of some sport or another, not to mention her own non school activites. With so much going on she is never free to do really anything. Now I think we've gone through everyone and have still come to the same conclusion. You."

"What about you?" Neji said.  
"Me? Ha! You saw that back there. If I taught Gaaara, we'd never get anything done. Just please help him?" Haku begged.

Neji knew he was done for. Everytime Haku used that look on him, he gave in. "Fine." he sighed turning back to their table.

Once there, Haku told Gaara he was leaving because he was just a distraction. With a grin in place he also said Neji was back and wouldn't stop until Gaara was getting straight A's. Kissing the red head, Haku turned and left.

"Thank you for doing this." Gaara said when Haku was out of sight.

"Of course." Neji nodded and sat back down. Getting his books back out he turned to Gaara.

"Really, thank you."

"Have you ever tried saying no to Haku?" Neji smirked.

"Can't do it." Gaara chuckled and turned to look down at his books. "Okay, what's first?"

X~x~X

Over the next few days, Neji met up with Gaara after school and worked on any subject that was needed. Gaara wasn't stupid by any means, his brain just wasn't fully on the subjects he was being taught.

Gaara tended to get bored easily and frustration would quickly follow. Once frustrated he'd call for a break and push his books away. How did Sasuke do this with Naruto?

Neji knew for a fact, Naruto had ADHD. The blonde was easily distracted and had to much energy for any one sane person to have. The only reason Naruto slid by in school was because Sasuke would make him sit for an hour to do his work, which the blonde loudly complained about, and because Naruto played sports. The blonde was the fastest on every team he played and with all that energy, he could be played more often.

Naruto tried, he really did, to get his mind focused on things. An hour was all he could sit still for but even then he was constantly talking. When Neji had to study with Naruto, he rarely got anything done.

"Are we done yet?" Gaara asked after forty-five minutes. "I have to get home to help my brother with his car."

"Yeah, we're done." Neji sighed and began putting his books away. "Again at the same time tomorrow?"

"Yeah, later Neji."

"Bye." Neji said and for the first time, Neji decided to seek out Sasuke for his help on how to get Gaara to concentrate more. He was willing to put his pride aside just to help a friend. Haku better appreciate everything he was doing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Neji took a breath when he spotted the person he hated the most, Sasuke Uchiha. How he hated that guy and had hated him since what seemed like forever. He and Sasuke had started rubbing eachother the wrong way, when Sasuke started dating Naruto, who in turned, unknowingly broke Haku's heart, giving him his first heartbreak making Haku a big mess afterwards. Of course, when Sasuke started dating Naruto, his own hate had grew toward Neji and since then, neither cared for the other or even tried after that. Before Sasuke and Naruto, they were somewhat friends.

But today, Neji was putting his pride aside as he walked down the crowded hallway toward the bastard digging through his locker as he took books out, put some in, flipped through one folder to pull out a few sheets of paper and putting them in another in his side bag.

"Uchiha." Neji called stopping beside the other.

"Hyuuga..." Sasuke looked at him with disdain, his hand pausing just inside his locker. "To what do I not owe this honor?"

"Shove it Uchiha," Neji narrowed his eyes, "I need to ask you a question."

"Funny, because I rather not answer one."

"Look-"

"No, you look, I could care less about what you want from me. I hate you, you hate me, we hate eachother." Sasuke said slamming his locker shut. The noise echoing through the now empty hallway. Maybe everyone was afraid of what Sasuke and he would do. It was no secret they couldn't stand to be around eachother. "Now I have to go-"  
"Not until you answer my question." Neji glared.

"No."

"How did you get Naruto-"

"Don't even say _my_ boyfriends name!" Sasuke hissed, glaring and looking as if he wanted to kill Neji. To be honest, Neji was shocked by that reaction and even more so with what the raven was still saying. "You have no right to speak of him, about him, see him, think of him, anything that involves him. In fact, pretend he doesn't exist. He is my boyfriend!"

"I know he's yours-"

"Hn." Sasuke glared and turned to walk off.

"I'm not done." Neji growled grabbing Sasuke by his shoulder and turning him around. "I-"

"Go to hell." Sasuke snarled pushing Neji off. "And fuck off."

"What is your problem with me!" Neji demanded as they squared off.

"What part of 'I hate you' don't you get?"

"I know you hate me. I want to know why?"

"Probably the same reason you hate me." Sasuke said, looking down his nose at Neji. "Now that we got that out of the way-"

"I hate you because you hurt my best friend, I know it wasn't your fault but I put it on you anyway."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke blinked.

"Now why do you hate me?" Neji asked hoping to get passed this.

"Because I can." Sasuke said. "How did I hurt Haku? I don't even talk to him."

"You help give him his first heartbreak." Neji explained. He so did not want to get into Haku's past.

"Please tell me he wasn't my fanboy?" Sasuke huffed in annoyance.

"God no," Neji said offended for his best friend. "he has taste." Which was true, every guy that Haku had ever crushed on was gorgeous. They were supermodel perfect when concerning looks. Naruto was the blonde god. Kiba was the wild bad boy. Gaara was the silent dangerous hottie. Neji couldn't fault him on his crushes. He was glad that Haku never showed an interest in Sasuke. That would have been weird and not to mention gross.

"Whatever." Sasuke glared and turned away again.

"I need advice." Neji said feeling annoyed.

"Do I look like I a therapist?" Sasuke still kept going.

"I'm tutoring Gaara." Neji went on following the raven.

"Lovely."

"He is having problems paying attention-"

"He's an idiot." Sasuke snorted.

"Listen Uchiha!" Neji snarled pushing the raven against a locker. "Gaara is not an idiot. He is a smart guy that has his whole life ahead of him."

"Sounds like you want him." Sasuke sneered. "Does Haku know?"

"Fuck you!"

"Hn." Sasuke said pushing Neji away from him. "Don't touch me. Don't even look at me. In fact, stay away from me and Naruto."

Neji stood there watching Sasuke stalk off and disappear around the corner.

"I guess I don't need to break anything up." Shikamaru sighed from behind him. "It would have been troublesome."

"How long were you there?" Neji asked running a hand down his face. His talk with Sasuke didn't go as he thought it would.

"Long enough. What's your question? Maybe I can help you with an answer. I doubt Sasuke is going to answer you." Shikamaru walked slowly and boredly toward him.

"Maybe you could. Do you know how Sasuke gets Naruto to concentrate on school work?"

"Sex." Shikamaru said looking at the ceiling.

"Sex?"

"Yep. If Naruto gets passing grades, he gets sex. If he fails any, he gets none and trust me when I say, Naruto loves sex." Shikamaru smirked, "Now what's question two?"

"You're saying it's sex that keeps Naruto motivated?" Neji never thought that was the answer. He would have assumed that Sasuke was a damn virgin with the way he carried himself and acted. Then again, who would pass up a chance with Naruto? Although Neji would never date him, he wouldn't mind the sex with the blonde god if he wasn't with Sasuke.

"Yes, but that wasn't your second question."

"What is his problem with me?" Neji asked walking beside Shikamaru as they walked down the empty hallway. He was going the opposite way from the class he needed to be in and he wasn't sure where Shikamaru's class was but doubted that's where the lazy guy was going.

"He thinks you want Naruto." Shikamaru said making Neji stop in place.

"What?"

"He thinks you want Naruto."

"Why?" Neji wasn't one for taking anothers guy. Naruto was hot but, he just wasn't for him.

"Think about it, the day you guys became enemies was the day he started dating Naruto. He thinks your crushing on his guy and is afraid that if he left you alone long enough with the blonde, you'd take him away. Sasuke's afraid."

"But I don't want Naruto." Neji frowned trying to process what he was being told.

"I know, but he doesn't. In his mind, you are the only one that can be his rival for Naruto's affection. Naruto talks easily to you. You're not bad to look at and you have brains. Your family is right up there with Sasuke's and your popular. So his reasoning seems sound that you could easily replace him if he doesn't keep Naruto away from you."

"That doesn't make any sense." Neji argued.

"Neji, when those two got together, you turned into Sasuke's worse enemy. You two stopped talking and every time you saw eachother you glared at one another."

"That's because he hurt Haku." Neji said stubbernly.

"He didn't know that and probably still doesn't. No one but you, Haku and me, because I tend to know everything," Shikamaru smirked, "knew that."

"But I've never liked Naruto like that, he's a friend." Neji stated.

"Which is the way it should be, because if you were crushing and wishing for Naruto, you'd have half the school wanting to kill you." Shikamaru chuckled.

"How do I tell him that? I mean, I don't hate him for that reason anymore, I was childish then. Now I hate him because he's an ass."

"It's a Uchiha thing, they are all bastards but they're cool guys. You can't tell him. Sasuke won't believe it until you start dating someone. You have never had a boyfriend..."

"Making it seem more like I'm waiting for Naruto." Neji groaned in annoyance.

"Yeah." Shikamaru laughed.

"But back on track, I'm not having sex with Gaara to make him learn. Haku would never agree to using sex against his own boyfriend. Haku likes it too much." Neji shuddered at the time he walked in on them. Though he had to admit, Gaara had a nice ass.

"Find something else that he likes and bribe him." Shikamaru shrugged. "With guys like Gaara, Naruto, and pretty much everyone they hang out with, you need to bribe them or threaten them to get what you want. Now I have to head to class. I was supposed to be there a while ago. I doubt the teacher is going to believe I had to pee this long."

"Thanks Shika." Neji called after the lazy guy.

"Yep."

X~x~X

"Haku what is Gaara's favorite thing?" Neji asked as he sat with his best friend in Haku's room.

"Why?" Haku asked as he texted on his phone. Neji had called off the tutoring session to try and figure this out.

"I'll need it to make him pay attention." Neji said taking the phone and saving the unfinished text message. "Now what does he like?"

"Me." Haku grinned.

"That is ha-ha-larious." Neji rolled his eyes.

"He likes cars." Haku said thinking about this, "Hanging out, sports, but until his legs heals up completely, they won't play him, he can go to practices but he can't even train with them. Not that he really cares now. He kind of is rethinking this whole sports thing. Um, he likes veggies. I know weird right? That's what he chooses to eat as a snack. When we went out the other day, I felt like a pig because I was eating a pizza and he had a salad."

"But he had a burger the other day." Neji said remembering the night of the lame haunted house.

"Yeah and he puked it out when he took me home. He tries to avoid fatty foods, it doesn't really sit well with his stomach, he's kind of like you but you actually keep them down." Haku shrugged.

"Then why did we stop there?" Neji questioned, "If he didn't like it, why were we there?"

"Because I like fatty foods." Haku went on. "He loves me that much."

"What else does he have that he likes?" Neji asked getting back on track.

"I don't know." Haku said taking back his phone and opened the saved message.

"Who are you texting?" Neji asked knowing he lost Haku.

"A friend of mine, well he's my step brother's friend, but he's cools." Haku grinned.

"How is Suigetsu?" Neji asked speaking of Haku's step brother.

"He's all for the college life. Apparently he's even seeing someone but he won't tell me. The only reason I know is because Kimimaro, that's his friend, told me so."

"Does Gaara know you text another guy?" Neji asked feeling concerned.

"Yeah, Gaara met him. They hang out a lot. They have a lot in common. They're like best friends and Kimimaro is already telling Gaara that he'll get a place for all of us." Haku grinned.

"Already planning your college life?" Neji chuckled.

"Yes. I can't wait. Kimimaro said U of S is to die for. Gaara and I can't wait to go."

For the next two hours Haku talked about the school he wanted to go to and a bunch of other random things. By the time Neji left, he realized he still had no answer for what would make Gaara pay attention and not get frustrated


	5. Chapter 5

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"What are we doing here?" Gaara frowned as he placed his books on the table of an eighties styled diner.

"We are going to learn." Neji stated, pulling out his own notes and books from his own bag resting next to him.

"What's wrong with the library?"

"It gets boring. Boring isn't good when you are trying to learn things. Now pull out your math book. We'll start there."

"Alright," Gaara nodded.

Not even an hour later, after a sandwich a piece and two ice waters, Gaara began to show signs of wishing to leave, his eyes glancing to the clock on the wall to the one on his phone.

"If you ask if you can leave, I will buy the most greasy burger here and make you eat it." Neji remarked as he looked down at the book in his hands, making side notes and cheat sheets that would help the red head before him.

"Are you supposed to threaten your students?" Gaara asked with amusement clearly in his voice.

"Only when they don't do as I say." Neji said, lifting his gaze to meet Gaara's laughing ones. "Now I believe that pencil is supposed to be doing something other then sharpening your teeth."

"Hm," Gaara smirked as he took it out of his mouth and looked down at his math. "This is confusing."

"No, you just think it is." Neji answered. "It wasn't confusing fifteen minutes ago or when you started. It's only becoming confusing because you don't want to do it anymore."

"Is that so?"

"Gaara," Neji sighed, "You aren't stupid. God kill me if I'm lying..." when nothing happened, Neji looked around and spread his arms, "Would you look at that, I'm still here."

Chuckling, Gaara leaned back in his seat, watching Neji with laughter in his eyes.

"The only reason you are having trouble in school is because you find it boring-"

"Understatement."

"-and it doesn't catch your attention. You have trouble concentrating when you rather be doing something else. All of this is easy stuff. It's like first grade work."

"I doubt first graders are adding fractions where 'x' minus fourteen over twenty three divided by seventeen 'r' equals one fourth 'a' plus seven 'y'." Gaara said saying a random mix of numbers and letters. "Where by then you find some weird combo to break open the lock and gain Lucky's charms."

"Ha, ha, ha." Neji rolled his eyes as Gaara smirked. "Oh would you look at that."

"What?" Gaara frowned as he followed Neji's gaze to the menu on the table.

"They have a three pattie stuffed with cheese, onions-"

"I can take a hint." Gaara remarked, looking a little green as the picture taunted him.

"Good...I don't know how Haku can eat that." Neji made his own face. "There's too much going on. Can you imagine what that'll do to your insides? It's probably like acid or something."

"Kill me. I couldn't keep it down if I begged it to stay. I've tried it before, it came back up all over Haku's shoes." Gaara answered with a slight blush.

"I can, but it's by will not by want." Neji laughed. "Has Haku forced you to take him to Pizza Maniac?"

"And force fed me the deep dished-stuff crust-every-meat-on-the-menu?" Gaara nodded, "I got through one slice and regretted ever since. Then Haku compared me to the little kid in the table next to us." he finished on a small grin.

"Lucky you. Haku made me eat the large one with him, I had food poisoning like no other. I'll say this, the boy can eat."

"I know. My wallet has suffered greatly. You know I always thought that boyfriends spend money on jewelry and the latest this and that, but Haku has me buying fatty foods left and right."

"Better you then me." Neji grinned. "Since you've been with Haku, my own wallet has stayed nice and fat."

"Rub it in." Gaara laughed.

"Okay now that we have had our break, ate a salad, and talked about Haku's food, which will not leave this table because Haku would kill us for dishonoring the fatty gods, it's time to finish up."

"You should be a cop. You do the evil eye thing perfectly."

"Shut up." Neji chuckled as he pushed Gaara's book toward him. "Study, learn, and then you can leave."

"Fine, fine." Gaara sighed as he turned his gaze toward the book, his hand already pulling gently at his hair, a color so red it shined. It wasn't to dark or to bright. It was the perfect shade of red. When Gaara bit at his bottom lip in concentration Neji lost all track of his thoughts as images began to fill his mind. When Gaara shook his head at an answer he didn't like, Neji turned his gaze away from the red head's handsome face and turned to look at Gaara's hands move in fluid motions as he wrote down answers. Gaara had beautiful hands. They looked...When Neji realized he was staring, he jerked his head back and forced his gaze toward his own books.

What was wrong with him? He wasn't just checking Gaara out was he?

After another thirty minutes of Neji fighting with himself about what he did or didn't do, he called it quits.

"Same place tomorrow?" Gaara questioned as he walked Neji toward his car.

"If you want," Neji shrugged, trying to pretend like nothing was wrong.

"Yeah...this was fun. You're a good friend for doing this Neji." Gaara grinned as he moved to the truck next to Neji's car.

"Thanks," Neji whispered once Gaara was gone. Getting in his car, he frowned, "It was nothing. I was lost in thought and Gaara happened to be were I was looking. I wasn't checking out my best friend's boyfriend."


End file.
